An Interesting Combination
by Wainwright
Summary: "Granger, I think it's time for an... understanding between the two of us." Draco finds himself struggling with a subject when he returns for his eighth year at Hogwarts and who better to tutor him than the ever brilliant Hermione? It starts out as helpful study sessions but as things progress, they realise they need each other for more than just better grades.
1. An Understanding

_**A/N: Welcome to my new little project! I have quite a few things in the works but I've got a lot of this done already so I'm putting it out there. This shall be Dramione, but romance won't brew for a few chapters yet. This shall be my first work with the pairing but I do intend to keep them as in character as possible. Do enjoy!**_

**Disclaimer: Alas, I do not own Harry Potter. However, I believe it to be in good hands with Ms. Rowling and I'm merely pinching a few bits for myself.**

* * *

Hermione Granger grumbled heavily under her breath as she watched her professor shamelessly praise a snarky blonde haired pain in her rear. Of course his potion would be perfect and so much better than hers and Slughorn would fall over himself at the possibility of a protégé. She huffed and began tidying up the ingredients strewn across her desk, muttering about a world of injustice. Now Hermione didn't have an overly deadly reaction when anyone in the world bested her academically but having the ever big headed Draco Malfoy receive such lavish compliments was just unacceptable. Storing her unused items, she returned to her station and gathered up her personal belongings, remembering rather triumphantly how Harry had outclassed Malfoy in their sixth year. Although, that was two years ago, Malfoy had a lot on his mind and even Harry had a considerable amount of unauthorised help. Merlin, she despised that book…

"Granger? Granger…? Granger!" A slim hand came into view in front of her face and she blinked as the boy continued waving enthusiastically.

"Yes. I… what?" The impeccable and irritating features of the Slytherin Prince himself filled her view and she inwardly sighed. Nothing good was going to occur, of that she was sure.

"Oh, good, you are in there. I thought that crammed brain of yours had exploded and you'd turn into a female version of Weaslebee." Her glare didn't subdue his self-created amusement so she turned away and buried her nose in a book. Why was his face deceptively attractive when his personality resembled a troll? After a moment of quiet he resumed speaking in that frustratingly silky voice of his.

"Granger, I think it's time for an… understanding between the two of us." Hermione's gaze immediately snapped up from her potions textbook to the boy lingering at the edge of her workstation. His height had always made him tower over her ever since their third year but she felt extremely small and vulnerable as her eyes met the steely grey of his own. Abruptly standing from her chair, her brows furrowed as she contemplated him while in turn his expression hardened. All traces of his earlier humour vanished as he seemed to prepare himself for a long and difficult discussion.

"An understanding? Did you hurt your head on the short journey from your desk?"

"Now, now, hear me out." '_Fat chance, why would I do that?_' came into her head instantly. Almost like he sensed this mental response, he huffed a sigh before leaning forward on the table and distinctly encroaching on her personal space. "I'm sure you are aware that this new project we're about to start for Potions is rather tricky. Combined with the fact that this is your least confident subject, I thought I would be generous in offering my assistance." The brunette witch stood dumb-struck for several moments, her mouth marginally agape while Draco smirked cautiously but smugly.

"W-what?" She managed to choke out once she'd recovered herself.

"_I'm offering my talented services for this project." _He restated, raising a thin eyebrow in mild irritation at having to repeat himself. Hermione had half an idea to ask him to pinch her to check she wasn't asleep but thought of his expression at such a request and discreetly snorted at the notion.

"What do you want in return? If I decided I actually needed any help, let alone from you."

"Clever Granger. Of course you wouldn't buy into me doing this out of the goodness of my heart." Sniggering, he flopped down lazily into the seat beside hers. "Alright, I need something from you in return." Her eyes narrowed dangerously, her gaze flickering over him.

"And what is that exactly?"

His proud façade fell for half a second and he glanced around them cautiously. Hermione ended up copying his movement, suddenly nervous about what he was planning on proposing. "You happen to be… talented… and I need that. I'm scraping an Excellent in Arithmancy and I require a tutor that can get me an Outstanding."

"Your first choice is me?"

"Take it as the only compliment I plan on giving you. Why settle for decent or even great when I could have the best?"

"The best…?" She repeated dumbly. "I… well… we'd have to work together…"

"Yes, that is the general idea." He retorted exasperatedly.

"But…I'm a Mudblood." The venom in her use of the derogatory term made him flinch which she easily noticed but his expression was entirely unreadable. "No matter how good I am academically, surely you wouldn't want to sully yourself with my presence, let alone my cooperation."

"Funnily enough, I couldn't give a toss about what's in your veins. I care about what's in here." Leaning closer, he tapped her temple but her only reaction was to blink in surprise. It was hard to comprehend Draco Malfoy willingly touching a 'lesser being' and yet she was positive such a thing had just occurred. "I need that big know-it-all brain of yours, Granger. What do you say?"

"I…well…really?"

"Only you would make things this difficult. Yes. Really. We can help each other." Obviously trying to get some sense into her head, he shook her shoulders and it seemed to manage something as she slowly began to nod.

"Okay. We… We can do this. You're right."

"Naturally." He muttered, relaxing back into his seat.

"But we have to behave civilly at all times." Hermione demanded, ignoring his mumblings although she understood clearly. "I won't help you if you're going to be an arse."

"I swear. I need this to work too. We're both adults and we've lived through a bloody war. I think we can handle a couple of school projects."

"Precisely."

"So, Wednesday evening for starters?" He asked, twirling her quill casually between his fingers. Hermione's mind went blank and not because she'd forgotten her schedule. Malfoy, ex-death eater and Muggle-hater extraordinaire was planning on spending time with her, studying with her and assisting her with her schoolwork. He was willing to give up his self-titled 'valuable time' for a Muggleborn he frequently labelled 'beneath him'. Had hell frozen over? This was surely going to be an experience to remember.

"Yeah, okay. Library at seven?" She answered with false confidence that he seemed to accept.

"It's a date."

_What? Did he just…? No, not possible. Hermione, you must be hallucinating._

However, she definitely wasn't imagining his signature smirk as he swept out of the classroom and down the dungeon corridor, leaving her flabbergasted and frozen.

* * *

_**A/N: That's chapter one! Be sure to follow for more if you enjoyed and leave a review if it so tickles your fancy. I'm planning on making the chapters 1000-2000 words so I can hopefully update regularly and the next chapter should be up in a couple of days.**_


	2. An Excitable Red-head

_**A/N: Sorry about the wait, explanation at the bottom, but let's get on with the chapter!**_

* * *

The Gryffindor common room was unusually quiet that afternoon, with only a select few older students in varying corners mainly studying. It was a fair day for October and though the wind held a chill, the sun seemed to seep into your very bones. Only the sound of scratching quills could be heard before a rather flustered Hermione Granger practically fell head first through the portrait hole.

"Ginny!" The red head in question immediately focussed on the disturbance and raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I think I have a date with Draco Malfoy." The ink well next to Ginny's hand toppled and black liquid engulfed her almost completed Quidditch schedule as the quill dropped from her hand and her mouth moved similarly.

"Context. Details. Explanation. Now." She spluttered, literally dragging Hermione into the seat next to her at the table. Taking a breath, the brunette witch looked at her friend cautiously before beginning.

"We were in Potions and he comes up with this… arrangement for us to help each other on a couple of projects. Wednesday night at seven in the library is our first meeting. The thing is, when he left he said _'It's a date'_ and did that… that smirk he does. You know the smug superior one? I could swear he _swaggered_ out of the Potions classroom."

"Well that's not entirely surprising, that boy does think rather highly of himself. But why you though? I mean, you're wicked smart and really helpful but you're a Gryffindor."

"Exactly and he's supposed to think my blood is less than pure." Ginny opened her mouth most likely to defend her friend but Hermione waved her away before she could breathe a syllable. "I know you completely disagree but that's what he thinks or he seemingly used to. Apparently – and I quote – '_I couldn't give a toss about what's in your veins.'_" Bright brown eyes widened and the red-head let out a long slow whistle.

- to be added to below

"He could be having you on but it seems a bit farfetched even for him."

"That's what I thought especially as he actually grabbed my shoulders at one point."

"Well I've never heard of the ferret ever really touching anyone. He sort of shirks of Pug-face as it is."

Hermione smiled lightly at her friend, "It's a good thing I know what you're talking about, Gin." The girls laughed before the brunette witch continued. "How long have you been calling him that anyway?"

Ginny snorted and flicked her red hair over her shoulders. "Harry's rubbing off on me apparently."

"Does that a lot, hmm?"

"He can whenever he wants unless it's that time of the month."

"Gin!" the other girl squealed and slapped her friend's hand as the youngest Weasley simply cackled in her seat. Truthfully Hermione loved girl talk with Ginny because no one was quite as honest and open as her. Or trustworthy for that matter. She certainly wasn't into telling her roommates; Parvarti as she and her Ravenclaw sister Padma were the gossip queens of the year along with Lavender. Goodness Lavender Brown was an undeniable fiasco that Hermione would have rather forget and even if she had outlived the war, the two would doubtfully be close. Ginny on the other hand was brilliant and Hermione loved having a friend who wasn't a boy. Harry and Ron were her favourite people and she didn't know where or who she would be without them but they just couldn't replace girl time. Watching movies and eating ice-cream until their bodies turned numb, late night talks about boys at sleepovers even though the conversation would inevitably turn to Harry. Merlin's pants, there were some things she really didn't need to know about him.

So the remainder of the evening they spent gossiping about how Draco Malfoy's Quidditch training had done him a world of good and Hermione went to bed that night with fewer worries about meeting the Slytherin Prince in less than forty-eight hours.

* * *

Hermione spent the day before her meeting with the snake, going to class, studying and planning teaching material. Obviously she wanted to be prepared for their meeting but she used it as a way of distracting herself from the fact she had a sorta, kinda date with Draco Malfoy. So she planned a strict study regime in the hopes neither would get distracted and insults would remain firmly in the past.

Draco on the other hand was playing chess in the Slytherin common room with his fellow housemate Theodore Nott. Work was far from his mind when he knew he'd snagged the brains of the Brightest Witch. His studies were sure to benefit and he didn't see the point in over working himself.

"Your move."

Draco looked over at his blonde friend and nodded lightly. He always seemed to be getting lost in his thoughts these days, probably because he felt more alone than ever. He had Theo and Astoria and Pansy was still hanging around him like a desperate housewife but things just weren't the same after the war.

The light side still viewed him as a murderer or coward and the dark side just saw a traitor or a coward. Either way he was spineless. He was tired of the hateful glares around every corner and in every class. The whispers about his family name seemed to follow him down every corridor and every street. His father's trial coloured pages of papers and magazines for weeks until he finally received the Dementor's Kiss and the world finally remembered his disgraced heir. His mother was serving house arrest at the Manor but it needn't have been a condition from the Ministry as she hid from the world anyway. He wasn't quite sure why Pansy kept coming around him other than the idea she still wanted his money or she really did fall in love with him years ago. That thought never failed to make him shudder.

It seemed there were very few people who didn't sneer like he once did. Hermione Granger was an unusual member of that group. Saint Potty and his ginger sidekick were still treating him like the devil's spawn but Granger seemed almost indifferent. Sure his main taunts were aimed at Potter and Weasley but he always saved a special something about inferior blood status for the bushy-haired girl. He also had the most apparent hatred as he frequently demeaned her kind instead of the petty jealousy and scorn he held for her idiot friends. Indeed, it intrigued him that her gaze held no hate but something else entirely. Pity. Normally he hated such an emotion but it seemed different with her. She never acted superior despite the fact her rebellion won the war. It confused him endlessly.

"When you seeing Granger then?"

"Tomorrow. Seven."

"And?" Draco raised a finely groomed eyebrow curiously, tilting his head in the direction of his companion as he took his opposing rook. Leaning back in his black leather chair, Theo continued after a moment. "What is on the agenda for your meeting exactly?"

"We're studying, Theo. Simple as that. I don't know why you think you've got something figured out between myself and Granger." The older boy watched as the ex-death eater stood from his chair and checkmated his king before disappearing from the Slytherin dungeons.

"We'll see, mate. We'll see."

* * *

_**A/N: I'm dreadfully sorry about the long wait for this chapter but unfortunately my university's internet connection doesn't like fanfiction, so I'm in a bit of bother. I'll do my best to keep going though so I hope to see you all soon.**_


End file.
